Catholic Church -- Education -- United States; Education -- United States
Mothers who give their efforts and means to this object, choose the
surest way to appease the anger of God, and to insure their own
salvation. They choose the best means of attaining a high degree of
perfection. Almighty God gives to each one the graces proper to his
vocation. Mothers, therefore, who are devoted to the religious
instruction of their children, must rest assured that God will give them
extraordinary graces to arrive at perfection. "Whoever," says our Lord,
"shall receive one such little child in My name, receiveth Me."--(Matt.
xviii. 5.) Whosoever, then, believes that our Saviour will not allow
Himself to be surpassed in liberality, must also believe that He will
bestow His choicest blessings on those mothers who instruct their
children in the knowledge of God and the love of virtue.
What obligations have not the "angels" of children "who always see the
face of the Father who is in heaven" (Matt. xviii. 10), to pray for
these mothers--their dear colleagues and charitable substitutes, who
perform their office and hold their place on earth. The children will
pray for their mothers, and God can refuse nothing to the prayers of
children, and their supplications will ascend with the prayers of the
angels.
Do you desire, O Christian mother, to be saved? Do you wish to acquire
great treasures in heaven, and to attain great perfection in this
life?--Employ yourself diligently in the religious instruction of your
children. Do you wish to gain the love of our Lord, and to deserve His
protection?--Teach your children to fear and love God; you cannot do
anything more pleasing to His Divine Heart.
It is related in the Gospel that mothers brought to Him little children,
that He might touch them. And the disciples rebuked them that brought
them. And when Jesus saw it, He was much displeased, and said to them:
"Suffer little children to come to me, and forbid them not: for of such
is the kingdom of God; and embracing them, and laying His hands on them,
He blessed them." If Jesus was displeased with those who prevented
little children from coming to Him, what love and tenderness will He not
have for those mothers by whose means they come to Him?
Oh! how consoled will they not be in their last hour, when they shall
see the souls of those whom they prepared for heaven, accompanied by
their good angels, surrounding their bed of death, forming, as it were,
a guard to protect them from the snares and assaults of the enemy!
This is a happiness which those mothers may confidently expect who labor
assiduously to give their children a good religious education. Ah! would
to God, I say once more, that mothers would understand their sublime
mission on earth!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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